Fire-escape



(No Model.)

W. C. BARKLEY.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No 325,381. Patented Sept. 1, 1885;

N. P6585. Fiwwulho n hor. Wamnglun, D. c

NITEI) STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

IVILLIAM C. BARKLEY, OF LITGHFIELD, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

S ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,381, dated September 1, 1885.

Application filed April 30, 1895. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. BARKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Litchtleld, in the county of Montgomery and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to fire-escapes, and has for its object to furnish a device which can be easily and rapidly handled and be efficient in its application.

It consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, hereinafter fully explained, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line :0 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail of one of the sections of the extensionladder; and Fig. 5 is a detail of the hoistinghook bar. Fig. 6 is a detail of one of the metallic sockets used in coupling the sections of the ladder.

a is the main frame, composed of the base or horizontal frame cand the upright or stand ard frame a all made of suitable dimensions and lengths to support my improvements.

0:1 ihc frame a, about midway its ends, I

journal the windlass b in lugs a". The wind lass is provided with ratchets 2) b, which are 1 engaged by pawls 1)" b Two windlasses, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, could be substituted for the singleroller windlass shown in full lines. I prefer to employ the single roller. The hoisting-ropes 0 have one end attached to the rollers, while to their other ends the hoisting-hook bar 0 is fastened.

(l is a guide-frame secured to a cross bar, (1. arranged on its rear side, and near to its upper end. The crossbar has its ends extended beyond the side bars of the frame, and are formed into trnnnions al which are journaled in bearings (1 secured on the upright frame a, near the upper end of the latter.

Instead of having the bar d extended across the frame, as shown, the trunnions d could be provided with shanks which could be attached directly to the side bars of the guide-frame, as shown in Fig. 1. I prefer to use the crossbar, because it adds strength and can be made and attached at less cost than would attend the use of the trunnions when made separately.

To the upper cross-bar of the frame (2, I attach the pulleys (1* (1*, over which are run the hoisting-ropes c. The guide-frame pivots on the truunions, so that its lower end may be moved outward or inward for the purpose of varying the slant thereof, for purposes hereinafter stated. Slide bolts (1 or other suitable latches, are attached to the lower end of the guide'frame for the purpose of locking the latter at any desired point. Two blocks, a", having concave upper faces concentric with the pivotal center of the frame d, are attached to the front end of frame a, and are provided with holes to receive the ends of the slidebolts d". The ends of the side bars of the guide-frame swing close to the curved face of the blocks a".

Instead of the slide bolts a curved segmental cog-rack could be pivoted at one end to the frame a, and have its other end extend along side of or through loops on the side bars of the hide-frame and be engaged by a sliding bolt 3r a pawl, and thus lock the frame in position.

I do not limit myself to any particular means for locking the frame.

On the inner sides of the side bars of the guide-frame, and near the upper end thereof, I provide guides d, arranged to keep the sliding ladder in place. The laddcrc is composed of a series of detachable sections, 0, having tenons c at one end and sockets e at their opposite ends. The tenons of one section slide into the sockets on the next section. By this construction the ladder may be extended to any desired length, limited only by the supply of additional sections. The first or upper section, 0*, is provided on the ends of its side bars with hooks c adapted to catch on any suitable device, as a window-sill or side of the house. It is also provided with hooks e on its rear side, adapted to support a ropeladder, 5 in a vertical position near the side of the house. The hooks 0" and a are formed on IOU the opposite ends of the same piece of metal, as most clearly indicated in Fig. 1.

In operation the upper section, a is placed in the guides cl, and the rope-ladder is attached to the rear hooks, a. It is then pushed upward and one of the sections e is joined to its lower end. The hook-bar is caught under one of the rounds, preferably the lower one of the added section, and by turning the Windlass the ladder is pushed upward, and the operation of joining additional sections and pushing them upward is continued till the top of the ladder reaches the desired height. When joining new sections to the lower end, the end of the lowermost section is supported on a crossbar, d, till the hook-bar is lowered so as to engage on the lower round. hen the upper section is pushed up to the desired height and is in position at a window or other outlet in the building, the rope-ladder will be close to the house, and to other windows below the one at which the end of the ladder e rests. It will be seen that I thus provide two ways of escape, one from the upper floor over the ladder 0. and another from the floors below by way of the Vertical rope-ladder; or the escape may be by way of the rope-ladder, while the firemen can use the outer ladder, e, to ascend with the hose to asuitable position for throwing water on the fire. The slant or inclina' tion of the ladder to the building can be regulated by the movement of the lower end of frame at. The base-frame is light, and is provided with handles, and can be easily moved by hand to any desired locality.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire-escape, the combination of a main frame, a guide-frame pivoted thereto, means for holding the guide-frame in an adjusted position, a ladder made in detachable sections, one end of the sections being tenoned, the other provided with a socket to receive the tenoned end of the next succeeding section, and means, substantially as described, for raising and lowering said sections, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the mainframe and the Windlass journaled thereon, of the ladder made in detachable sections, the pivoted guide frame, pulleys fastened to the upper end of the guide-frame, a hooked hoisting-bar, and the hoistingropes, having one of their ends made fast to .the hooked hoistingbar, and their other ends passed over the said pulleys and made fast to the Windlass, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses;

hi \VILLIAM C. X BARKLEY.

mark.

WVitnelsses:

P. F. BENNETT, J NO. WV. Rosn. 

